Scotland

Edinburgh’s commitment to education runs centuries deep and with that comes a large selection of museums to spread that learning. With more than 30 different museums in the city, there’s a museum for every interest. Even better, most of the museums are free!

Edinburgh’s literary prowess runs deep. Home to Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, JM Barrie and JK Rowling, there’s no shortage of literature that has come from the minds of this UNESCO City of Literature. Edinburgh has not only provided the home to these literary minds, but has also set the setting for many works of Scottish literature.

Edinburgh’s historic landmarks and places tell the story of the Scottish capital from its origins over 8500 years ago through to the present day. A unique city where the Edinburgh royal, poor and elite lived side by side for many centuries, there are many stories waiting to be told in the historic landmarks, monuments and streets in Edinburgh.

Named the first UNESCO City of Literature in the world, Edinburgh boasts a strong commitment to books and with that comes a wide assortment of beautiful bookstores. Whether you’re just looking for a new read, wanting to spend an afternoon browsing winding stacks in a secondhand bookshop or love fantasizing over gorgeous antiquarian books, these 12 beautiful Edinburgh bookstores are a must-see for any book lover in Edinburgh.

Over the course of the eight Harry Potter movies, filmmakers used a combination of sets and on-site location filming to recreate the magic of the wizarding world that many of us dreamed about as children. Over 50 different Harry Potter filming locations throughout the UK and Ireland came together to bring this magic to reality.

While we Muggles may never be able to find the exact brick wall that lets us enter Diagon Alley, there are a number of locations that we can visit in the UK to recreate the magic of this wizard shopping street. Scattered across London, York and Edinburgh these seven Diagon Alley locations either helped to inspire J.K. Rowling in imagining Diagon Alley for the books or served as a filming location in the Harry Potter movies.

As the home for Hogwarts in the books and movies, Scotland delivers an extraordinary experience for Harry Potter fans looking to relive the magic of the series. Many areas within the dramatic and mystical landscape of the highlands served as Harry Potter filming locations, including the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct that the Hogwarts Express travels over, the beautiful Hogwarts Black Lake, the location for Hagrid’s Hut, and other stunning highland scenery used for the grounds of Hogwarts.

For Harry Potter fans, riding the Hogwarts Express truly represents a once in a lifetime experience. Even if the owl carrying your acceptance letter got lost, you can still take the Harry Potter train in Scotland. Known to muggles as the Jacobite Steam Train, this historic train covers the same route that filmmakers often used to film the Hogwarts Express journey in the Harry Potter films.

For lovers of the Harry Potter books, Edinburgh holds a very special place in our hearts. Home to J.K. Rowling while she was writing the novels, the city is full of opportunities to explore behind-the-scenes elements that helped to shape the magical series that captivated the world and touched us all on an individual level.